BlissI avoided reviewing this film after seeing it originally in 1997 because I couldn't put words on paper (or in this case, on screen) to describe it. After seeing it again on video, I realize that the power and impact of this film is more emotional than almost any film I have see. Upon seeing the film, I quickly looked to see how it was being responded to. Critics didn't like it (except the intelligent Siskel & Ebert), and some even hated it. Many complained that it contained so many sex scenes and yet it wasn't erotic. I suspect these critics and viewers were hoping for a sex-filled film with no plot. That's not what they got, and they bashed it.
Instead, what they got, if they had actually watched, was one of the most emotionally distressing films of 1997. This film literally disturbed me for days. I, too, figured the film as a sex-film about sex. Perhaps those expectations were so low that this film far surpassed them. But when I recently watched it again, my expectations were even higher, and the film still passed them. In fact, the second time I saw it, the more it disturbed me than the first time.
BLISS begins with a couple getting married. Joseph (Craig Sheffer) is worried because Maria (Sheryl Lee) has a problem: she's obsessive and compulsive. Maria, on the other hand, is worried about something entirely different, perhaps a result of her obsessive behavior. After six months of marriage, the two are now seeing a marriage counselor. Here, Maria reveals to Joseph that she has never had an orgasm with him. Now, being a man, I can sympathize with him. But what happens next delves deep into the psychological and emotional aspects of sex, which is what I did not expect in the least.
Joseph discovers his wife attending a sex therapist and then demands that she stops going to him. Joseph then faces Dr. Baltazar Vincenza (Terence Stamp) who tells him that she has hidden psychological problems. After finding his wife ridding the house of all bugs, he asks Baltazar to teach him his practice. Working on the edge of the law, Baltazar first declines but then agrees. Baltazar begins to teach Joseph the techniques he uses. You see, he doesn't use sex as sex, but as a theraputic act. The only way that the mind can heal itself is through the body. "How can the mind cure the mind?" Baltazar asks.
The rest of the film deals with Joseph learning to accept his body and love it, while healing Maria. However, what happens is something unexpected that it could just destroy the marriage. Maria begins regressing back to childhood traumas that hindered her ability to become a fully-functional adult. Her emotional damage can only be repaired through Joseph's loving approach, but as he tries to, she is fearful and forces him to move out. The film now picks up even more pace as it finally reveals the last emotional stake that is so powerful that it had this reviewer moved to tears.
BLISS is not a film about sex, but more about love (which is very, very hard to find these days). It's about emotional scars due to trauma experienced as a child. It's about the physical healing that can be used. The cinematography is stunning. Mike Molloy uses blue lighting to light the sex scenes which makes them seem cold and distant, as if Joseph can't get close to his own wife. The lighting also makes it less erotic which is what the purpose is. We don't want to get aroused about this film, because it's more intelligent than that. The sex scenes are quite explicit, but the cinematography smartly shows just enough and nothing more.
Of course, the most obvious thing is the level of sex in BLISS. It earned an NC-17 rating the first time it went to the MPAA, but after some cutting, it was trimmed to an R. And I wouldn't have cared had this been the original rating. The sex scenes are not necessaily erotic, and the only reason it got the NC-17 is because it was so explicit in dialogue and emotions. The sex in the film is mostly necessary because the scenes themselves raise the stakes as the healing process begins. Flashbacks further the emotional bonding between the audience and Maria, while we all watch as Joseph has trouble dealing with all of it. In possibly one of the most shocking and stunning scenes in any film I've seen, Joseph makes love to Maria and as she remembers long-forgotten memories, she convulses and shivers. Her throat closes up and Joseph calls the paramedics. It was so emotionally convincing and stimulating that I had trouble watching. Sex is an emotional and physical process, but most films portray it as a physical act only. The former element is what makes the film so difficult to watch, and yet you can't take your eyes from the screen.
The film was written and directed by newcomer Lance Young. Young has not had much experience considering he went to college on a golf scholarship. But after making this film, Young is definitely a director to be reckoned with. His style is simple but very effective. The camerawork is superb because it never takes away from the emotional impact of the film. Instead, it adds to it, as the camera almost seems like it's intruding during the opening scenes of sex, while it gets close in during the healing processes. Young is also already a master of color as every single scene exhudes a wonderful shade of blue or orange that makes the film even more frank in it's portrayal. I never expected this from a first time director. The screenplay is almost darkly comic with some of the dialogue, but it's mostly the kind of humor you appreciate without laughing at. While Young uses some elements that a more experienced director would avoid, such as having Joseph disover his wife with a telescope, he manages more emotion than those same experienced directors would ever maintain in any of their films. Yes, the film is about emotions and how sex can heal (I don't know what is fact or fiction in this film, but everything is utterly believable).
Acted by Craig Sheffer, Joseph is incredibly realistic guy. Sheffer is a very talented actor who should maintain stardom anyday now. His strong features and rugged looks make him a perfect actor for the role. Sheffer shows so much love that the chemistry between him and Sheryl Lee is astonishing. Lee, on the other hand, has the more difficult role. She has some difficult emotions to deal with and she handles them very well. In one of the final scenes as she confronts Joseph, she breaks down and I couldn't help let the tears flow. It's one of the saddest and yet happiest scenes of the year. And Terence Stamp has the difficult role of being the center of the film. Most everything revolves around him, and his steady performance maintains the film's credibility. His violin lessons to Joseph are perfect, but he also seems like he can no longer enjoy sex because of the emotions he deals with. It's a very convincing performance. The other characters are mostly unimportant.
BLISS is rated R for graphic sex scenes and strong, sex-related dialogue, and language. In 1997, we saw the release of Titanic which is truly a great and emotional film. However, the emotions dealt with here are more powerful than those in that best film of 1997. While it has a few minor flaws, they are more than overpowered by the story and acting. The director is more than likely going to stay around, and I hope he does. If he makes films like this, I will consider him as one of the best directors ever. This is one of the best films of 1997, and I hope more people get to see it on video.